This relates generally to electronic devices with displays, and, more particularly, to encapsulating displays to protect display components from moisture.
Electronic devices often include displays. Displays such as organic light-emitting diode displays contain organic emissive materials and other structures that are sensitive to moisture. To prevent moisture intrusion, some organic light-emitting diode displays include deposited thin-film moisture barrier layers. The thin-film moisture barrier layers may be formed from materials such as silicon nitride that are impermeable to water.
A display may also contain an inorganic barrier layer that is attached to underlying display layers with a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive. Inorganic barrier layers formed on pressure sensitive adhesive in this way tend to exhibit poor water blocking capabilities. Pressure sensitive adhesive is associated with high water diffusivity and low water solubility, so large amounts of moisture can also intrude into a display through the edges of a pressure sensitive adhesive layer. Moisture barrier layers that are not formed on pressure sensitive adhesive may be better able to withstand moisture, but are not perfect and can still allow moisture to penetrate to sensitive organic material layers in a display. For example, these moisture barrier layers may not be able to block all moisture that has penetrated through the edges of a pressure sensitive adhesive layer and the inorganic moisture barrier layer on top of the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide moisture barrier structures for preventing moisture intrusion into a display such as an organic light-emitting diode display.